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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Jake do when Skelly starts inquiring about his mother?

2. What was surprising about Mrs. Russell?

3. How did the third boy feel about his reaction to the old man.

4. What did Skelly call Thorbert?

5. How did Jake feel about taking his grandfather to the bathroom to wash his hands?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jake respond to Skelly when he has friends over?

2. What does the shift from third person to first person at the end of the first chapter signify?

3. What did the boys see in the dumpster on their way home from school?

4. How did the old man react to the boys?

5. By the time Jake was in sixth grade, how did he feel about his "laying low" strategy, and what did he do about it?

6. What was Mrs. Russell like?

7. How did Skelly's nickname for Thorbert change him?

8. How does Jake feel about taking care of Skelly?

9. What did Jake think about his name?

10. What was Jake's mom like when he was a baby?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the incident where Skelly breaks his wrists symbolize the breaking of his life?

Essay Topic 2

Why does Jake connect so much with "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck? How does it remind him of his own life?

Essay Topic 3

What were some of the major and minor concerns that Jake had when Skelly disappeared and didn't come back by nightfall? What did he learn about those who were trying to help the family?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 605 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample